In a medical situation, whether in a hospital, the side of a road, or on the battlefield, a medical responder has certain procedures and tools at his or her disposal to stabilize the patient and increase the odds of survival. One of the procedures available to the medical responder is opening an airway for the patient. Securing an airway which can be used to support ventilation has been called “the primary requirement for patient survival” in military situations. Robert Gerhardt, Tactical En Route Care, Richard B. Schwartz, ed., 156 (2008). If the patient must be moved, the airway should be secured beforehand to mitigate complications that may arise during transport. Id.
The procedure itself can take different forms depending on the situation and injuries sustained by the patient. A laryngoscope is one of the tools available to the medical responder to open an airway for the patient without surgery. A laryngoscope usually has a light which illuminates the inside of the mouth and throat of the patient to assist the medical responder in its proper use.